Lit candles are usually associated with a soft, warm, or romantic setting. Candle light dinners are viewed as romantic, and why candles can add so much warmth. Candles can also be a source of danger. Candles are responsible for a growing percentage of home fires. In 2001, candles were responsible for 6% of the fatalities that occurred as a result of home fires. (ref. NFPA's Fire Prevention Week website)
Human error is typically responsible for starting candle fires. Some of the frequent mistakes people make include:                leaving candles burning with no one in the room        burning candles close to materials that can catch fire (e.g., curtains, party decorations, clothing)        leaving burning candles within the reach of children or pets        falling asleep or leaving the house with candles burning        
In some cases, fires are started because the candle wax gets so hot it catches fire itself. Canada-wide statistics for candle fires are not available. However, in Alberta between 1990 and 1999, the number of candle fires increased by 100%, reaching a total of 723 fires with 10 fire deaths, 168 fire injuries and $12.4 million in property damages. Because people are using candles more frequently, these figures are on the rise, especially during holidays and special occasions. (ref. Health Canada website—Candle Safety)
Another safety consideration is the fact that rural areas often rely on candles as a backup source of light during power outages. During these sometimes prolonged events, general visibility and depth perception is lowered, and therefore the risk of inadvertently overturning or striking a candle or candles is increased. While placing candles inside jars or other containers (or filling containers with candlewax) can somewhat improve the stability of the flame holder, these containers also pose the risk that when overturned their flame is not as easy to notice as a bare candle, due to being surrounded by a container. By this means, a jar candle may spill hot wax onto other flammable materials before one may notice, creating a pathway for the candle flame to ignite the flammable materials, causing damage and danger.
Some known solutions include candles with insert able wick cutters which are inserted directly into the sides of freestanding candles, but these require the user to remember to manually insert the cutter at the appropriate location. By this means, the candle puts itself out when the severed wick is reached. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,286) This method does not address the issue of overturning the candle before it self-extinguishes.
In a related category, automatically (timed) lid closers include a lid attached to the rim of a candle container which flips onto the top of the container when activated by a timer mechanism. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,708) Again, this method only addresses automatic closure of the candle holder, but not closure in direct response to an unsafe orientation or impact.
Some candles in containers include a layer of fire suppressant material embedded under the candlewax so that when that layer is reached by the flame, the candle self-extinguishes. (US20090233249) Finally, a mechanical overturn safety device is commonly employed inside portable kerosene stoves which responds to impact or overbalance by shutting off the gas, flame, or both. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,948)
The existing solutions demonstrate a need for an automatic closure system for containerized candles that closes when the container is overturned or impacted sharply, and which thereby snuffs out any flame and prevents any fire or wax from spreading onto flammable materials outside the container.